The members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America gathered at the Chancery for their Spring Session March 28-31, 2017. In addition to hearing reports from the OCA officers, departments, boards and commissions and other agenda items, the hierarchs selected “For the Life of the World” as the theme of the 19th All-American Council, which will be held in Saint Louis, MO July 23-27, 2018.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, presided at Tuesday’s opening prayer service in the Chancery’s Saint Sergius of Radonezh Chapel and at the hierarchs’ plenary sessions. On Wednesday evening, he concelebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts with His Eminence, Archbishop Alejo of Mexico and His Eminence, Archbishop Irénée of Ottawa. Graduating OCA seniors from Saint Tikhon’s and Saint Vladimir’s Seminaries sang the responses and, together with their wives, engaged in a dialogue with the Holy Synod in a question and answer session after the dinner that followed. Holy Synod members also gathered for the chanting of the Great Kanon of Saint Andrew of Crete and a second Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Friday morning, the Feast of Saint Innocent of Alaska, at which His Eminence, Archbishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, presided.
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